This document provides definitions for sound design and production terms in a glossary format. It includes terms related to foley artistry, sound libraries, audio file formats like .wav and .mp3, audio limitations involving hardware like sound cards, audio recording systems involving analog and digital formats, MIDI, software tools, and concepts in audio sampling like bit depth and sample rate. The student has researched definitions for each term and provided examples of how the terms relate to their own production practice.

1. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
1
Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of sound design and production. Using a provided template, you must
research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you
have obtained the definition.
You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.
Name: Victoria Bell RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched definition
and URL link)
DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF
THE RESEARCHED TERM TO
YOUR OWN PRODUCTION
PRACTICE?
SOUND DESIGN
METHODOLOGY
Foley Artistry A sound effects technique for synchronous effects or live effects.
http://www.filmsound.org/terminology/foley.htm
Foley artistry is when a sound
effect is created with some kinds
of props.
Sound Libraries A collection of different sounds that are recorded or made via sound effects to be
used in making mixed together to make something e.g. voice acting merged with
noises to make a video game cutscene. A collection of sounds.
I have created a selection of
different sounds in a folder in my
documents.
SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed A file in it’s original format. Usually higher quality. I have saved uncompressed files. I
had not changed them from their
original format in any way.
.wav A format for storing sound files.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/WAV.html
I have used the sound format on
reaper.
.aiff A type of file format for audio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Interchange_File_Format
I have saved a file in this format.
.au Short for audio a common format on Unix computers.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AU.html
I have seen this on Unix
computers.
.smp A file format. A format I have used in college.
Lossy Compression A way to compress files. I have used this to compress large
files on my computer.
.mp3 File made for mp3. I have copped these files on my
own computer.
AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit (SPU) Also known as a sound card it is used to move audio files from a computer under a
computer program.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_processing_unit
I have one of these in my
computer used for sound.
Digital Sound Processor
(DSP)
A Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, is a specialized microprocessor that has an
architecture which is optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal
A sound processor that can be
uses real time.

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
processing. A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) can process data in real time, making it
ideal for applications that can’t tolerate delays. Digital signal processors take a
digital signal and process it to improve the signal into clearer sound, faster data or
sharper images. Digital Signal Processors use video, voice, audio, temperature or
position signals that have been digitized and mathematically manipulate them. A
digital signal processor is designed to perform these mathematical functions rapidly.
The signals are processed so the information contained in them can be displayed or
converted to another type of signal.
http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/microprocessors/digital-signal-
processors.aspx
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
RAM is a form of data storage for computers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory
I have this on my own computer.
Mono Audio A single sound using a mic usually I have created sound this way for
projects
Stereo Audio Stereo is more than one sound being captured.
http://www.mcsquared.com/mono-stereo.htm
I have captured stereo sound.
Surround Sound Surround sound is sound all around. I have recorded this in the past
Direct Audio (Pulse Code
Modulation – PCM)
is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard
form of digital audio in computers, Compact Discs, digital telephony and other
digital audio applications.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-code_modulation
I have this audio in my computer.
AUDIO RECORDING
SYSTEMS
Analogue An analog recording is where you would record the analog signal to a recordable
medium
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006051503661
I have used this to record sounds
while working on projects.
Digital Mini Disc The MiniDisc (MD) is an obsolete magneto-optical disc-based data storage device
for 74 minutes and, later, 80 minutes, of digitized audio or 1 gigabyte of Hi-MD data.
The Sony brand audio players were on the market from September 1992 until
March 2013
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc
I have seen them used.
Compact Disc (CD) Something to store audio. I listen to them at home.
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Digital Audio Tape (DAT or R-DAT) is a signal recording and playback medium
developed by Sony and introduced in 1987.
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Digital_Audio_Tape.html
MIDI MIDI (/ˈmɪdi/; short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard
that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors and allows a wide variety
of electronic musical instruments, computers and other related devices to connect
and communicate with one another.[1] A single MIDI link can carry up to sixteen
channels of information, each of which can be routed to a separate device.
I have used this in my work at
college.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI
Software Sequencers The term ‘software sequencer’ was originally coined to represent applications which
offered what were by today’s standards only basic MIDI thomann recording and
programming facilities. These days, MIDI sequencing is often just a small part of
what this kind of software can do, but it remains a fundamental of software music
making. Now typically combined with scoring, audio recording, software
instruments, mixing, effects and other processing, the software sequencer thomann
has evolved into an extraordinarily powerful recording tool.
http://www.thomann.de/gb/onlineexpert_153.html
I have used this tool to help me
record sounds.
Software Plug-ins A hardware or software module that adds a specific feature or service to a larger
system. The idea is that the new component simply plugs in to the existing system.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/plug_in.html
Used the plug ins to make the
sound effects.
MIDI Keyboard Instruments A Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) keyboard is a musical instrument like a
piano keyboard. The MIDI portion indicates that the instrument has a
communication protocol built in that allows it to communicate with a computer or
other MIDI-equipped instrument.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-midi-keyboard.htm
I have used the keyboard to make
sound effects for a game.
AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-
depth
In digital audio using pulse-code modulation (PCM), bit depth is the number of bits
of information in each sample, and it directly corresponds to the resolution of each
sample. Examples of bit depth include Compact Disc Digital Audio, which uses 16
bits per sample, and DVD-Audio and Blu-ray Disc which can support up to 24 bits per
sample.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_bit_depth
I have used bits in saving work.
File Size Constraints -
Sample Rate
Also called a sample rate. Typically expressed in samples per second, or hertz (Hz),
the rate at which samples of an analog signal are taken in order to be converted into
digital form
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/sampling_rate.html
I have used this in work.